TV & Film News – WGC members ratify new IPA

Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) members have ratified a new Independent Production Agreement (IPA), governing English-language writers, story editors and story consultants through January 2027. Under the newly-ratified agreement, live action script fees will increase by five per cent, four per cent, and 3.5 per cent over the next three years. Animation script fees will increase by five per cent, 11.5 per cent, and 3.6 per cent over the same period. WGC members also won minimum staffing provisions on set that require two Story Editors to be engaged during the bulk of principal photography, starting next year, in addition to Artificial Intelligence (AI) protections. Read more here.

Hot Docs has announced it will temporarily close Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema, starting June 12, as its financial situation remains grave despite the success of its recent festival. The organization announced in March it was facing a substantial operating deficit largely due to a slow post-pandemic recovery. It says during the three-month closure, the Hot Docs leadership team will undertake an extensive review of the cinema and its programming to determine a path back to profitability. Refunds will be automatically processed, with the cinema expected to return to operations this fall. 

The Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Foundation of BC has announced the 2024 Leo Awards nominees. Feature film Re:Uniting leads this year’s Motion Picture nominations with 12, followed by Les Filles du Roi and Wild Goat Surf, which both secured eight nods. In the TV movie category, Sealed with a List garnered seven nominations, while Monster High 2 scored six nods. Bones of Crows led Dramatic Series nominations with 15, while Our Big Punjabi Family and Reginald the Vampire led nominations for Music, Comedy, or Variety Program series with five apiece. View the full list of nominees here.

LG Channels is the newest platform partner to host Super Channel’s two FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television) properties: Super Channel Hearties, featuring “feel good” series like When Calls the Heart, Heartland and Chesapeake Shores; and Super Channel Uncovered, offering a library of series exploring scientific marvels, historical events and mysteries like Deadly Science, Cruise Ship Killers and Almost Unsolved. The two new FAST channels are also available to viewers as free linear channels and via Video On Demand through Plex, Tubi and Xumo Play. 

Global adds Season 1 of Irish/Canadian/Belgian crime drama, Hidden Assets, to its schedule beginning Wednesday, June 5. Starring Angeline Ball and Wouter Hendrickx, the series untangles an international conspiracy involving drugs, terrorism, and corrupt business and political leaders. Co-funded by the European Union, the series is a Saffron Moon, Facet4Media & Potemkino Production for RTÉ, Super Channel and Acorn TV. Global has also announced the return of Big Brother for a 26th Season, kicking off in a two-night premiere Wednesday, July 17 and Thursday, July 18.

TSN will carry the 2024 Memorial Cup live, beginning with the host Saginaw Spirit facing off against the WHL champion Moose Jaw Warriors on Friday, May 24 at 7 p.m. ET. Play-by-play commentator Victor Findlay delivers the call for all games in Saginaw, alongside analyst Kevin Sawyer, with BarDown’s Julia Tocheri reporting live rinkside. Laura Diakun leads TSN’s panel coverage on-site in Saginaw, alongside analysts Craig Button and Frankie Corrado. TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger joins the broadcast team in Saginaw for select games during the tournament. Find the complete broadcast schedule here. French-language coverage of the tournament is available on RDS.

CBC/Radio-Canada’s studio spaces in its main production centres in Toronto and Montreal have been recognized by BAFTA albert’s Studio Sustainability Standard, the first time a Canadian media organization has received the designation. The Studio Sustainability Standard is the first sustainability assessment designed specifically for studio spaces. In its first year of participation, CBC/Radio-Canada was recognized with the “very good” rating for the sustainability of its studio operations in several categories, including energy consumption through studio house lighting conversion to LED and zero-waste goals and recycling programs.

The National Screen Institute (NSI) has welcomed 10 new participants to the 20th anniversary edition of CBC New Indigenous Voices. The training program offers Indigenous creators the opportunity to learn from industry experts and gain hands-on experience in the essential elements of film, TV and digital media in a 14-week, full-time, immersive program with classroom sessions, film production and industry internships. This year’s cohort includes Amanda Wandler (Kamloops, BC); Jerry Wolf (Woodstock, ON); Julia Ross (Winnipeg, MB); Kane Wood (Winnipeg, MB); Kieran Aho (Winnipeg, MB); Matthew Shoup (Winnipeg, MB); Spencer Blyan (Red Deer, AB); Stacy Flett (Winnipeg, MB); Talon Simon (Elsipogtog First Nation, NB); and Viola Bushie (Winnipeg, MB).

ACTRA Toronto has launched the Asian Performers Showcase as part of a revamped Diversity Showcase website. Presented by ACTRA Toronto in partnership with Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival (TRAIFF) and in collaboration with the Casting Directors Society of Canada (CDC), the showcase features 14 established and up-and-coming ACTRA Toronto performers from pan-Asian communities. Showcase participants were unveiled at a live event at TIFF Lightbox on May 17 that opened with a discussion with ACTRA Toronto members Andrew Phung (Kim’s Convenience, Run the Burbs) and Jasmeet Raina (Late Bloomer) about the importance of Asian representation in film, television and digital media.

MTM’s latest TV Distribution report takes a deeper look at paid TV subscriptions. It finds two-thirds of Canadians continue to subscribe to a paid TV service. Fibre optic services now account for more than half of subscriptions (37%), surpassing both cable (20%) and satellite (9%) combined. Francophones are more likely to subscribe to a paid TV service than anglophones (76% vs 63%). While still ahead of paid TV subscriptions, SVOD services saw a slight decline for the first time this year. Overall subscriptions among Canadians declined from 81% to 78%, and the number of households opting in for more than one service has also dropped. Many still use SVOD and paid TV subscriptions in tandem with 51% opting in for both. The average Canadian TV subscriber pays roughly $76 a month for their paid TV service.